Fluid control valve



'March 1s, 1947. J. J, SLOMER 2,417,709

FLUID CONTROL VALVE Original Filed' Jan. 14, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 jiji TroawE Y v March 18, 1947. J, J. sLoMr-:R

FLUID CONTROL VALVE .Origin 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 a1 Fuga-Jan. 14, 1944 -JTTORNEY M35/mmm 03 L/ Z J W March 18, 1947. f .1. J. sLoMER 2,417,709

FLUID coNT'RoL VALVE original Filed Jan; 14, 1944 3 shuts-Sheet s Patented Mar. 18, 1947 FLUID CONTRGL VALVE Joseph J. Slomer, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Good- Aman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a`

corporation of Illinois Original application January 14, 1944, Serial No.

Divided and this application March.

3, 1945, Serial No. 580,769

4 Claims. l

This irvention relates to improvements in iiuid operated control systems particularly adapted to control the electric circuits of motors used to propel mine locomotives.

The .principal objects of my invention are to provide a new and improved form of iiuid con.. trol valve adapted to positively operate a plurality of devices in a regular sequence or order.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel form of control valve of a simplied and eicient construction for supplying fluid at pressures increasing or decreasing step by step, arranged to reduce the lap of the valve piston and the mechanical differences of the valve to a minimum and thus reduce the variations in pressure for the same positions of the control handle of the valve as said control handle is turned in an on 'or an off direction. 4

This application is a division oi application Serial No. 518,245, filed January 14, 1944.

Other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specication proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a variable pressure control valve constructed in accordance with my invention, with certain parts of the valve broken away and certain other parts shown in horizontal section;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View in side elevation of the valve shown in Figure 1, with certain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in longitudinal section;

Figure 3 is an end view of the control valve with certain parts thereof shown in transverse section in order to show certain details of the valve;

Figure 4 is a detail transverse sectional view of the valve showing certain details of the manually controllable emergency valve, for releasing fluid from the iluid pressure system;

y poppet valve.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figures 6 and '1 are enlarged detail sectional views of the variable pressure control valve, showing said control valve in closed and open positions respectively; and

Figure 8 is a detail view o the control valve, showing certain details of the iiuid connections thereto. i v

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, a. pressure pipe 39 is provided to supply fluid under pressure to a variable pressure control valve indicated generally by reifer-` ence character 46 and mounted in a valve block 35. A control handle 42 on a4 vertical shaft 43 is provided to operate said variable pressure control valve in a manner which will hereinafter more clearly appear as this specification proceeds. When said control handle is turned in one direction, fluid under pressure will be delivered from said valve through a pipe 44 at pressures progressively increasing step by step, and when said control handle is turned in an opposite direction, iluid will be released from the opposite end of said valve at pressures progressively decreasing step by step, as will more clearly appear as this speciication proceeds.

Fluid under pressure is admitted to the variable pressure control valve 40 through a'poppet valve 41 mounted in a block or casing 35 for said variable pressure control valve. Said Doppel; valve is urged into a closed position by fluid entering said valve through the pipe 39 and by a coil spring 48. A rocking arm 49is provided to open said Said rocking arm is pivotally mounted on a vertical sha-it 5| at one of its ends and has engagement with the projecting end of a stem 50 of said valve, intermediate its ends. The opposite end of said rocking arm is bifurcated `and has a roller 52 mounted between the furcations thereof on a pivotal pin 53 (see Figure 2). Said roller is adapted to engage a notch 54 in a notching cam 5-5, or any one of a plurality of spaced notches 56, 56 in said notching cam. When said roller is in engagement with the notch 54, said valve will be in an oil position. When, however, said roller rides out of said notch and into engagement with the notches 56, 56, effected by pivotal movement of said notching cam, said rocking arm will serve as an index, indexing the positions of the control handle 42 for certain predetermined pressures delivered to the pipe 44, it being understood that since the notches 56, 56 are not as deep as the notch 54. said valve will be in an on position when said roller is in engagement with said vnotches 56, 56. Said index is herein shown as beingL formed integrally'with a sleeve 51 keyed on the vertical shaft 43 and journaled in the casing 35 for the control valve,

As the control handle 42 is turned to an on position, t'o cause the roller 52 to ride out of the notch 54 and into the rst notch 56, or into any one of the succeeding notches 56, 56, iluid under pressure will be admitted to the valve block through the puppet valve 41 to the variable pressure control valve 49 through a passageway 58.

The control valve 40 is of the piston type having a piston |09 movable in a sleeve lill, mounted in the valve casing 35. The variation in pressure resulting from said piston valve as it is admitting fluid from a lower to a higher pressure and from a higher to a lower pressure, is independent of pressure in an intake pressure line 58 of said valve and is due to the lap ofthe piston or to mechanical differences only. In order to reduce the lap of the piston and the mechanical differences to a minimum and thus reduce this variation in pressure for Ithe same positions of the control handle as it is turned in an on or an olf direction, said piston is provided with three 4 or right-hand end and the passageways formed by said cross drilled portion communicate with a passageway |35, leading to a passageway |36, communicating with an annular l groove |31 formed in theA outer periphery of the valve sleeve I0. Said sleeve is cross drilled from said annular groove into the inside thereof, to permit i fluid under pressure to enter said groove |31 lands I2 and ||3, adapted to register with corresponding lands formed in the inner periphery ofthe sleeve ||0, thus providing a multiple lap piston for controlling the delivery of fluid to the pressure line 44. Said piston is drilled along its longitudinal axis from the left-hand end thereof for a portion of its length, and is cross drilled as indicated by reference character I4 at the left-hand end of the land I, to permit fluid under pressure to pass through the left-hand end of said piston, to and through the pressure line 44. A compression spring I I5 extends within the drilled portion of said piston and tends to urge said piston in a direction to the right. Said piston is likewise provided with three lands ||8. ||9 and |20 adjacent its right-hand end, which control the discharge of fluid to the return. The provision of the multiple lands ||2, and ||3, and ||8, ||9 and |20, registering with correspond-` ing lands formed in the inner periphery of the sleeve ||0, makes it possible to reduce the lap of the piston so that pressure will be admitted or discharged by said piston with a very slight movement of said piston within the valve sleeve. This will reduce the inaccuracies of said valve due to mechanical differences, and Will make the valve sufilciently accurate to insure full and accurate opening and closing ofthe ports in the distributor valve 4| for the same positions on the control handle 42, when said control handle is being turned in an on or an off direction.

The valve 40 is operated by a pair of spaced gears |23, |23, herein shown as being formed integrally with the control shaft 43.Y .Said gears mesh with racks |24, |24 cut on spaced upper and lower inner ends |25, |25 of a valve operating member |26 (see Figure 5). Said valve operating member is of a substantially C-shaped formation with the racks |24, |24 cut integrally with the upper and lower inner ends thereof. and has a sleeve |21 mounted therein and abutting a closed end |28 thereof` (see Figure 2). Said closed end |28 of said valve operating member isslidably mounted on a hollowpilot |29. A hollow piston |30 is mounted on said pilot for movement therealong and extends within said sleeve |21 and is concentrically spaced therefrom. Said hollow piston has an enlarged inner portion which ts snugly within and is secured at its inner end to an inwardly flanged portion of said sleeve |21, as by welding. A compression spring |33 extends within said valve operating member, between the inside of the sleeve |21 and the outside of the hollow piston |30, and is seated at one of its ends in said sleeve and piston. The opposite end of said compression spring abuts and is seated in a seat |34. freely mounted on the inner or righthand end of the piston 09. The connection between said seat and the valve piston is relatively loose, to avoid binding between said seat and piston. and to cause an even pressure to be exerted on said piston by said spring at alltimes.

The pilot |29 is cross drilled adjacent its outer through said cross drilled passageways and to pass through the passageways |36 and |35 to and through the hollow pilot |29. Fluid passing through said passageways may thus exert pressure on the inside of the hollow piston |30, to balance the pressure of .the spring |33 so the control handle 42 can be operated with a minimum amount of effort and so said control valve will stay in any desired position for which it is set, without being held by the hand. At the same time pressure is exerted on the inside of the hollow piston |30, fluid under pressure passes through the cross drilled passageways ||4, to exert pressure.on the left-hand end of the valve piston |09 substantially equal to the pressure exerted by the spring |33. y

When the valve 41 has been opened by the rocking arm 43 by turning the control handle 42 to an on position, fluid under pressure will enter the passageway 68,` which communicates with an annular groove |39 formed in the outer periphery of the valve sleeve ||0. Said valve sleeve is cross drilled from said grooved portion |39 to the inner periphery thereof, as is indicated by reference characters |40, |40, to permit fluid to pass from the passageway 58 to the valve piston |09 (see Figures 6 and 7).

When the valve 40 is in the position shown in and there will be no pressure in said pressure line. As the control handle 42 is turned in a direction, which in Figure 2 is a clockwise direction, the valve 41 is first opened to admit fluid to the valve piston |09, as has been mentioned before. The spring |33 at the same time is moved to the left into engagement with the seat |34. Continued turning of said control handle will compress said spring and cause said spring to move the piston |09 to the left until the land ||3 is moved out of lap with the corresponding land formed in the valve sleeve ||0. as is shown in Figure 7. This will admit fluid within the valve sleeve ||0 and will permit fluid to pass by the land ||3 into a groove |38 formed in the valve sleeve. From thence fluid will pass in the space between the lands ||3 and ||2, into a groove |4| formed in said valve sleeve, into thel space formed between the lands 2 and into a groove |42 formed within said valve sleeve, through the cross drilled passageways I|4, ||4

to the hollow center of said. valve, and. through the hollow center of said valve out through the said piston to the right against the compression spring |33.

When the pressure exerted against the leftto the right a distance sufficient to move the lanaV |49 formed in said sleeve, and through passage.

ways drilled from the inner end of said sleeve into said groove. t the -hollow chamber formed in the casing 35, and out through a discharge passageway 68 to the low pressure side of the` accumulator I5.

When the control handle 42 is turned to the first operating position, the spring |33 is displaced an amount equal tothe travel of the operating member |26 minusthe clearance between the end of the spring and the valve seat and Athe clearance 'between said valve seat and the end of the valve cylinder H0. When said spring has been displaced this amount, fluid under pressure will pass through the hollow piston |09 into the chamber leading to the pressure line 44, at a pressure substantially equal to the force exerted by the spring |33. As pressure in the pressure line 44 tends to increase beyond the force exerted by the spring |33, the valve piston |09 Ywill be moved to the right against the spring |33 by pressure exerted against the left-hand end of said piston, to release fluid from the end of the valve sleeve ||0 into the hollow casing 35. As the pressure 'against the left-handend of said valve piston is reduced, said spring |33 will move said valve piston to the left a distance sulcient to close the passage of iiuid from the passageway 58 to the pressure line 44. If the pressure tends to be reduced below the required value, said spring will move said -piston a distance suiiicient to admit iluid under pressure past the lands H2 and H3, to the pressure line 44.

It should here be understood that in order to maintain the desired pressure infthe pressure line 44 and take care of any leakages of iluid, the piston |09 is continually moving baci:v and forth in the valve sleeve |I0, to hold pressure in the line 44 and admit fluid under pressure to said line, or to discharge iluid from the end of the v sleevev ||0 to the hollow inside of the casing 35 and to the return through the passageway 68.

As the displacement of the spring |33 is increased by turning of the control handle 42 in a clockwise or on direction. the pressure of the l uid entering the pressure line 44 will be correspondingly increased. Thus a definite pressure will be supplied to the pressure line 44 for each notch 56 on the notching cam 55, which pressures progressively increase step by step.

As the control ha-ndle 42 is turned in an opposite direction, the displacement of the spring |33 will be decreased for each step on thenotching cam 55 and uid pressure exerted against the 6 l construed as limiting my invention to the specc embodiment illustrated, exceptingas it may be limitedv in the appended claims.

I claim' as my invention:

1. In a` variable pressure hydraulic control I valve, a valve sleeve, a substantially balanced lvalve piston slidably movable within said valve sleeve, a spring engaging one endof said piston,

,means operable to displace said spring in one direction, to move said valve piston to open for the discharge of fluid fomone end of said valve' sleeve and to permit said valve piston to move in an opposite direction against said spring, ef-

fected by fluid pressure on said valve piston, to permit said valve piston to move to a position to permit the discharge of iluid from the opposite end of said valve sleeve, a pressure passageway in said sleeve permitting iluid under pressure to enter said sleeve intermediate -the ends thereof, said piston being provided with a plurality of spaced lands throughout itslength provi g a multiplicity of laps to permitthe discharg of fluid under pressure from one end of said sleeve when said piston is moved'in one direction by displacement of said spring and to permit the release of iluid from'the other end of said sleeve when said piston is moved in an opposite direction by iluid pressure moving said valve piston against said spring, to reduce the lap and amount of movement of said piston for opening or closing said valve. 2. In a variable pressure hydraulic control valve, a valve sleeve, a valve piston slidably movi able within said sleeve, a pressure(passag eway in said sleeve permitting fluid under pressure to enter said sleeve intermediate its ends from the v outside thereof, said piston being 'drilled along its axis from one end thereof for a portion or its length and being cross drilled on one side of said spaced lands between said pressure passageway in` said sleeve and said pressure cross drills and having a plurality of spaced lands between said release cross drills and the end of said piston, and said sleeve having a vplurality of spaced grooves throughout its length disposed between left-hand end of the valve piston |09 will move said valve piston to the right. This will permit fluid to be discharged through the return passageway 68, until said valve piston has been balanced and the desired pressure has been established in the pressure line 44 for the corresponding position of the control handle 42.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention' may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be said spaced lands, when said piston is in a closed position, to reduce the lap and amount of movement of said piston for opening or closing said valve.

3. In a variable pressure hydraulic control valve, a valve block, a valve chamber in said block, a valve piston in said valve chamber, a pressure inlet leading into said block and into said valve chamber intermediate the ends thereof, a ,pressure outlet leading from one end of said valve chamber, a discharge outlet leading from the opposite Yend of said valve chamber, a control handle, a spring having operative connection with said valve piston and adapted to be displaced by said control handle and urge said piston in a position to permit fluid to pass through said pressure outlet, fluid under pressure passing through said pressure outlet also exerting a pressure on the end of said valve to balance i the force exerted on said piston by said spring,

said chamber having4 a plurality of grooves formed therein throughout its length between said pressure inlet and said pressure and discharge outlets, and 4said piston being provided with a plurality of lands intermediate said grooves, to permit the discharge of `iluid under pressure through said pressure outlet when said piston has been displaced by said spring in one direction, and to permit the release of fluid from the opposite end of said chamber when fluid pressure acting on the end of said piston has displaced saidpiston against said spring, said grooves and vlands being arranged to reduce the lap and amount of movement of said Valve piston, when moving to open or close said valve, so said valve will maintain substantially the same pressure at the same position on the control-handie, when said valve is turned in an on 'direction or an oil direction.

4. In a variable pressure hydraulic control valve, a valve block, a valve chamber in said block, a valve piston in said valve chamber, a

pressure inlet leading into said block and into said valvechamber intermediate the ends thereof, a pressure outlet leading from one end of said valve chamber, a discharge outlet leading from the opposite end of said valve chamber, a control handle, a spring having operative connection with said valve piston and adapted to be displaced by said control handle and urge said piston in a position .to permit iiuid to pass through said pressure outlet, iiuid under pressure passing through said pressure outlet also exerting a pressure on the end of said valve, to balance the force exerted on said piston by said spring, said chamber having a plurality of grooves formed therein throughout its length between said pressure inlet and said pressure and discharge outlets, and said piston being provided vwith a plurality of lands, intermediate said grooves, and said piston being drilled for a portion of its length along its longitudinal axis, from the pressure end thereof, and being cross drilled to one side of said pressure inlet to said chamber to permit fluid under pressure to enter the hollow portion of said piston and be discharged through said pressure outlet when said piston has been displaced by said spring in one direction. and being cross drilled to the opposite side of said pressure inlet to permit iiuid to be released from the hollow inside of said piston and the end of said chamber opposite from said pressure outlet, when fluid pressure acting on the end of said piston has displaced said piston against said spring, said multiple laps being arranged to reduce the amount of movement of said valve piston to open or close said valve, and thus to reduce ,the mechanical errors thereof when moving said control handle in a direction to open or close said valve, so said valve will maintain substantially the same pressure at the same position on the control handle, when said valve is turned in an on or an off direction.

JOSEPH J. SLOMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS French Nov. 21, 1932 

